Ensure legitimate number of Mizoram Brus: MPC

Published: Saturday, November 24, 2007, 14:03 [IST]

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Aizawl, Nov 24 (UNI) Following the Mizoram Brus' threat to move the Supreme Court against the Mizoram government's alleged failure to expedite their repatriation, the Mizo People Conference (MPC) has cautioned the state government to ensure that only legitimate Brus were brought back from the refugee camps in Tripura.

The aggrieved leaders of the Mizoram Displaced Brus Association met state government officials on Novenber 21 to discuss their repatriation and also expressed their intention to move the apex court.

However, even though Mizoram home secretary C Ropianga said the identification process would be conducted jointly with Mizoram NGOs at Tripura's refugee camps prior to the repatriation, the latter had already refused to participate in the identification task following ideological difference with the state government.

The MPC requested the NGOs to reconsider their earlier stand as the issue concerned the security of the people of Mizoram.

According to the findings of a DC joint team in 2000, the ''Reangs'' (locally called Brus) had fled Mizoram following alleged ethnic conflicts.

The state Home Minister had mentioned in the Assembly that the displaced people comprised 543 families, amounting to 3,189 persons.

However, the statement contradicted the displaced Brus' claim that their total number amounted to over 35,000.

Meanwhile, an MPC statement suggested that the actual number of displaced people could be identified using the 1995 electoral roll.

The party also urged the state government not to employ the 2003 electoral roll or any other roll thereafter for consideration of the legitimate number of Brus, alleging that these rolls were illegitimate and had been disapproved by the NGOs.